Every member of the Devil's Hole gang knew their leader well and understood that the week prior to a robbery was always tense and often unpredictable as Heyes' brain went in to overdrive, envisioning the entire robbery over and over in his mind, searching for even the most minute of potential flaws or errors. Kid, more than everyone else, was keenly aware of the rapid fire mood swings Heyes often exhibited. Being the buffer between the leader and the gang members, Kid often experienced the brunt of Heyes' anger, excitement, despair, and even regret. This plethora of emotion was all part of the process leading to a nearly perfect preparation of plans. But the process of Heyes reaching this end was difficult for the gang to endure and Heyes was always given a very wide berth of solitude.

Two days before the robbery, Heyes was hold up in his room, fine tuning potential kinks in the plan. As the date of the robbery approached, Kid began a close and almost constant contact with his partner. Heyes was moving through his typical planning process and was now entering his final process of preparation. By the day of the robbery, Heyes will have achieved his psychological readiness, prepared to lead the gang to financial profit and success. But that was still two days away.

At the beginning of the week, Kid had avoided Heyes as much as all the other gang members. But now, Kid's role had changed and Kid alone faced the grueling task of helping his partner deescalate to move his focus from planning to implementing a flawless robbery.

This week-long process was something that both Kid and Heyes were well accustomed to. To a much lesser degree, Heyes had utilized the process ever since he and Kid were were orphaned and forced to quickly learn to fend for themselves and simple pilfering soon evolved into planned thievery. Perhaps it was Heyes' conscience that wormed its way to the surface once a plan was solidified, but Heyes always worked through some degree of regret and remorse. This was usually the most difficult phase for Kid as it often pressured him into appeasing Heyes' real or imagined digressions.

So, in the early evening, two days before the robbery, Kid sat on the porch of the cabin, smoking a cigar and enjoying a few quiet moments of solitude. He heard the screen door open and watched Heyes emerge from the cabin, stand at the edge of the steps and stretch his arms and neck before walking down the steps and around to the back of the cabin. Kid knew Heyes was headed to a small clearing at the end of a narrow path hidden in the forest of trees behind the cabin. This was one of many rituals of Heyes' preparation and Kid knew the remorse phase was solidifying.

Kid stayed on the porch with the intention of watching the sun set, but as the brightness of day began to ebb beneath the horizon and Heyes had not yet returned, Kid began to grow concerned and decided Heyes might need a bit of prodding before darkness fell on the forest.

Kid sighed heavily and went in search of his partner, finding him perched on a rock, gazing down the mountain slope, lost in his own thoughts.

"Heyes, sun will be gone soon," Kid said as he approached his partner.

Heyes sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"You still thinking about the robbery?" Kid asked.

Heyes shook his head. "I was until I saw you coming up the path."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, Kid, I'm the one who's sorry."

And so the self depreciating conversation of remorse was about to begin.

"What are you sorry about, Heyes?"

"I never meant to make you an outlaw, Kid."

"What are you talking about?"

"Growing up the way we did, I should have done things different."

"Heyes, you can take credit for a lot of things about them growing up years, but turning me into an outlaw ain't one of them.

Kid's hand dropped down to rest on his gun and holster. "This is what made me become an outlaw, Heyes, not you. I'm the one who decided to take up a gun, to hone my skills with a gun. When I got as good as I did, I knew I had just two choices. I could live inside the law or outside the law. Inside was just too... confining... So I chose this."

Heyes climbed off the rock and stood looking at his partner. "Kid, every time we pull a job, my biggest worry is you."

"Me? Why?"

"You willingly put yourself at risk more than any of the rest of us. And you don't just do that for me, you do that for all of us...Are you ever scared when we do a job?"

"I'm scared every time we do a job... so's everyone else. That ain't a bad thing, Heyes. It keeps us all on our toes."

"Yea, maybe."

"No maybe about it. Every time we plan a robbery, you try to take on the responsibility of the world. It might surprise you to know that everyone of is capable, Heyes. Everyone of us knows exactly what we're to do, what's expected of us, and what the risks are."

Heyes smiled. "We are a fine group of outlaws, ain't we?"

Kid sighed, knowing his partner had just crossed another finish line.

"Yea, Heyes. We're a fine group. Now let's get down this mountain before it gets dark."

Heyes nodded and started toward the path. When he reached Kid he paused. Kid smiled and threw an arm across Heyes' shoulders.

"We're almost there Heyes," Kid said reassuringly.